The European union (abbreviation: European Union) is a state group of 25 European states with 459.5 million inhabitants and the largest gross domestic product of the world.

Geography

The European union has a surface of 3.975.372 km and a coastal length of 65.413, 9 km. It is enough in the northeast to Finland, in the northwest to Ireland, in the southeast to Cyprus and in the southwest to Portugal. In addition the overseas territories come:

• France: Guadeloupe, French Guayana, Martinique,
• Spain: Kanaren, Ceuta and Melilla
• Portugal: The Azores and larva Irish Republican Army

All states (with exception of the overseas territories and Cyprus) lie in Europe. 2004 were taken up with Cyprus also a state, which is ranked geographically among Asia. The entire European union (without external territories) lies on the eurasischen plate.

The geographical center of the European union is smallMay-separates in the Westerwald.

The Mont Blanc lies in the Savoyer alps and is with 4808 m the highest mountain of the European Union. The largest lake is the a lake in the southwest of Sweden with a surface of 5650 km The longest river is the Danube at 2850 km, from which however only 1627 km flow through the European Union. It rises in the Black Forest and flows in the Danube delta into the black sea.

The climate reaches in the north from the cold climate to the subtropical climate in the south. In the north (Finland) the average temperatures lie with -13 "°C in the winter and +15 "°C in the summer. On the other hand in the south (Malta) in the winter an average temperature of +12 is reached "°C and in the summer of +25 "°C.

For further information see here.

History

Major item: History of the European union

In the 50's, after the end of the Second World War it was a political goal of organizing within of Europe the reconstruction and of preventing future wars within Europe. From this motivation resulted after the Schuman plan of 9. May 1950 the establishment of the European community for coal and steel (EGKS and/or Coal and Steel Community) on 18 April 1951 by Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, which a common use of coal and steel had as a goal. By the establishment of the EGKS began a European integration, which went within a short time far beyond this. Thus the establishment of a European defense community was planned, which should form the framework for the German rearmament by an integration into a European defense and merge Europe in the long run also into a political community. This plan failed 1954 in the French national assembly.

By this election defeat the further European integration was stopped altogether and one concentrated to limit the integration on the economic area. This manifested in the 1957 signed themselves Roman contracts, by which the European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (EAG and/or Euratom) were created. A most important goal of the present Treaties was establishing a customs union. 1965 were signed the merger agreement, which united the institutions of the three there created communities (EGKS, EEC and EAG).

In the following years and decades the face of the communities and the number of members changed themselves increased. 1987 were developed the uniform European document (EEA), whereby the European domestic market was created. The EEA contained beyond that regulations over European co-operation in the foreign policy (European political co-operation so mentioned - EPZ). It did not concern however 4. Community form, but only around a intergouvernementale co-operation. The contract of Maastricht from the year 1993 justified the European union (European Union).

3 columns form the basis of the union: those already 1951 and/or 1957 created and three European communities changed in the European Union contract (1. Column), those, the EPZ replacing, common one outside and security politics (GASP, as well as co-operation within the ranges law and inside (ZBJI, 3, created again in the Maastrichter contract. Column), from which 1997 in the Amsterdamer contract became the police one and justizielle co-operation in criminal actions (PJZS). The GASP comes thereby just like the ZBJI only the character to a intergouvernementalen co-operation. The European Union is represented frequently as the connecting element of the present Treaties. Over this will clarify often selected the picture of a roof over the 3 columns or of a coat enclosing these 3 ranges. Besides in Maastricht the introduction of the euro in three steps was decided. In the year 2000 by the contract by Nice the extension to the East was then prepared, at the 1. May 2004 was carried out and those the European Union of 15 to 25 members extended.

In October 2004 the European condition in Rome, compiled by the European convention, was signed. The condition contract developed in such a way had to be ratified still by all 25 members, in order to be able to step into force. In May and June 2005 however the Frenchmen and Dutchman rejected the condition contract in populars vote. Thereupon the united kingdom and other member states shifted the ratification on indefinite time. If the agreement of all member states should not be achieved up to the end of the ratification process, the condition cannot step into force. If a majority of four fifth accepts the contract, the further proceeding is incumbent on the condition the European advice, thus the state and head of the government according to page 472.

Beside the European condition momentarily also the extension to the south and the east and the relations with the United States are most important debates for the question of the future of the European union.

Languages

Major item: Office languages of the European union and minority languages in the European union

In the European Union today 21 languages are recognized as official office languages, with which all organs can be contacted. Beside these further minority languages exist. The European Union avowedly to respect and respect the languages and language variety. English, as working languages, are used of the office languages French and German in order to facilitate the communication between the coworkers of the European institutions. In the European parliament speech contributions in each office language can be held, since they are translated by interpreters.

Articles in category "European union"

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